Place the collar or cuff evenly on the table, with the
wrong side up. Iron it lightly. Turn it over, and iron
the other side lightly first, more heavily next, and then
very heavily and smoothly. Afterwards polish in the
same manner as previously directed. Curl up, and put
aside to get quite firm and dry.
TO IRON A SHIRT.
Place the back of the sleeve smoothly on the table ;
iron it ; turn and iron the other side smoothly. Place
the wrist-band smoothly on the table ; iron it wrong side
first, and then finish on right side. Next comes the
shoulder-strap, then the neck-band or collar. The latter
must be done extremely carefully, polishing it nicely.
Double the back of the shirt, and iron it on both sides.
Spread the shirt out now, and iron all the front of the
shirt except the breast. Place a piece of board covered
with flannel under the breast, and iron it very nicely,
polishing highly at the last.
Hang the shirt up to dry well, then fold neatly, and
put away.
TO DRESS LACE (A Simpler Way).
Lace is best to be starched very slightly, either with
very thinly made boiled starch, or with the liquid in
which a little rice has been boiled.
WASHING AND IRONING.
137
Dip the lace in the starch, and squeeze it out. Clap
it between the folds of a towel to partially dry it. It is
always ironed on the wrong side. Place it on the table
slightly picked out, and place a piece of muslin over it.
Rub a cool iron over it several times, till it is a little
dry. Take up the lace now, and with the fingers pick
it out nicely to show the pattern and the edge as it was
originally. Pass the iron over it again. Then pick out
the lace once more, and carefully draw it to each side,
and give it a final ironing.
The iron used must be very cool, else the lace will be
too stiff ; but moving it about in the hands, and drawing
it out, makes it flexible.
Lace may also be washed and dressed thus: —
Stitch a piece of muslin firmly round a bottle or piece
of wood ; tack the lace to this, winding it round the
bottle, and cover it with thin muslin. Then let it soak
for a time in melted soap and warm water, pouring the
water over it; if very dirty, it may be steamed at the
side of the fire, then rinsed, blued, and dipped in water
in which a little rice has been boiled ; finally, hung up
to dry.
When unwound from the bottle, it has only to be
picked out a little, and either pressed between the covers
of a book or ironed with a very cool iron on the wrong
side.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
Good housekeeping consists greatly in saving — saving
time and labour, furniture and food, and getting the
largest amount of individual and family comfort, happi-
ness, and appearance, out of the income at one’s disposal.
A good housekeeper should see that no person’s energies
are uselessly wasted in a wrong manner of executing
house work, and that furniture is not wasted by want of
care, and that food is not wasted by bad cooking.
Page 58
Presented as published in 1882. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Place the collar or cuff evenly on the table, with the wrong side up. Iron it lightly. Turn it over, and iron the other side lightly first, more heavily next, and then very heavily and smoothly. Afterwards polish in the same manner as previously directed. Curl up, and put aside to get quite firm and dry.
TO IRON A SHIRT.
Place the back of the sleeve smoothly on the table ; iron it ; turn and iron the other side smoothly. Place the wrist-band smoothly on the table ; iron it wrong side first, and then finish on right side. Next comes the shoulder-strap, then the neck-band or collar. The latter must be done extremely carefully, polishing it nicely.
Double the back of the shirt, and iron it on both sides. Spread the shirt out now, and iron all the front of the shirt except the breast. Place a piece of board covered with flannel under the breast, and iron it very nicely, polishing highly at the last.
Hang the shirt up to dry well, then fold neatly, and put away.
TO DRESS LACE (A Simpler Way).
Lace is best to be starched very slightly, either with very thinly made boiled starch, or with the liquid in which a little rice has been boiled.
Dip the lace in the starch, and squeeze it out. Clap it between the folds of a towel to partially dry it. It is always ironed on the wrong side. Place it on the table slightly picked out, and place a piece of muslin over it. Rub a cool iron over it several times, till it is a little dry. Take up the lace now, and with the fingers pick it out nicely to show the pattern and the edge as it was originally. Pass the iron over it again. Then pick out the lace once more, and carefully draw it to each side, and give it a final ironing.
The iron used must be very cool, else the lace will be too stiff ; but moving it about in the hands, and drawing it out, makes it flexible.
Lace may also be washed and dressed thus: —
Stitch a piece of muslin firmly round a bottle or piece of wood ; tack the lace to this, winding it round the bottle, and cover it with thin muslin. Then let it soak for a time in melted soap and warm water, pouring the water over it; if very dirty, it may be steamed at the side of the fire, then rinsed, blued, and dipped in water in which a little rice has been boiled ; finally, hung up to dry.
When unwound from the bottle, it has only to be picked out a little, and either pressed between the covers of a book or ironed with a very cool iron on the wrong side.
Good housekeeping consists greatly in saving — saving time and labour, furniture and food, and getting the largest amount of individual and family comfort, happiness, and appearance, out of the income at one’s disposal. A good housekeeper should see that no person’s energies are uselessly wasted in a wrong manner of executing house work, and that furniture is not wasted by want of care, and that food is not wasted by bad cooking.